Crowded
by lockANDkey
Summary: The streets were filled with people staring at him. They gave him dirty looks and he knew why...
1. close encounter

Inuyasha walked along the crowded city streets. People passed by him that he didn't recognize. But, they all had the same reaction toward him. He was different. He couldn't be trusted… by anyone. He looked at the way the others dressed. They dressed so normal, with their brightly colored clothes. Looking down all he saw was black and a worn leather trench coat. Black was all he could wear. Inuyasha needed to blend in with the shadows.

A few years back things took a turn for the worse. It was a great time for the media though. They all got a chance to write about the biggest story of the century. Inuyasha winced as he thought about the newspaper headlines. "Dog Demons Walk Among Us!" The title rang out clearly in his head. He was nothing more than a demon, a blood thirsty demon. Or at least that's what people thought.

The golden-eyed hanyou stopped outside of a building and fixed his hat, before stepping inside. The stench of demons filled the air along with cigarette smoke and alcohol. After people had found out about demons being in the city, they all went into hiding. This bar was their hide-out.

"Welcome to the Dog House! …Wait, that wouldn't be my baby brother now would it?" A voice called from behind the bar.

Inuyasha walked up to the counter. "Hey, how's the coward business treating you, Sesshoumaru?"

The tall demon reached across the counter and grabbed Inuyasha by the shirt." WE WOULDN'T EVEN HAVE TO BE HIDING IN THE FIRST PLACE IF YOU HADN'T…"

Sesshoumaru was interrupted by a pretty raven haired girl. "What's going on here? You aren't going to fight are you?" The girl had a worried expression on her face. Her elegant hand was brought up to her lips in concern.

Sesshoumaru let go of his brother's shirt and brushed off his shoulder. "Why, how rude of me. I haven't introduced you to my newest employee. Inuyasha, meet Kagome." He said with a sinister tone in his voice. The girl smiled with such innocence that it caught Inuyasha off guard. She held out her hand to him as a friendly greeting. Inuyasha starred at her hand for a minute before shaking it.

"Hi, it's nice to meet you." Kagome said, the smile never leaving her face.

"Ummm… yeah, you too." He narrowed his eyes at her.

"Kagome, would you please go take care of that gentleman over there. He looks like he could use a drink and I would like to talk with my brother." Sesshoumaru gestured toward a man at the bar.

"Sure!"

Inuyasha watched the unusually perky girl walk away, before turning to his brother. "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"

"What do you mean, little brother?"

"Don't mess with me Sesshoumaru! Everyone knows that you don't hire new employees unless you're going to use them. I don't want you involving an innocent girl in any of your…"

"In any of my what? …I simply needed more help. It's hard to run a bar you know."

Inuyasha growled. "Don't mess with her."

"Little brother, I don't know what your talking about. Maybe you should go and get some sleep." Sesshoumaru turned to the bouncer at the door. "Kouga, would you please show my brother the way out."

"Of course, sir" Kouga walked up to Inuyasha and grabbed him by the shoulder.

"Listen to me Sesshoumaru, Don't mess with her!"

That was the last thing Inuyasha said before he was thrown out into cold night air.

Kagome walked up to Sesshoumaru and looked down at her feet shyly. He seemed so tall standing in front of her. She felt inferior whenever she was near him. Kagome felt this way next to a lot of people, especially her boss.

"If it's not too rude of me to ask, sir, what was that all about?" Kagome said while glancing up quickly to meet her boss's eyes only to look down again.

"It's nothing. I just have a bit of a grudge with my brother. That's all you need to know." He said before coldly walking away, sniffing in the horrible scent of human as he passed by. "I'll rip that stench from this planet one pathetic raven haired girl at a time." He whispered then smiled to himself.

Kagome wiped down the bar with the damp cloth before grabbing the keys and locking the door. Sesshoumaru had asked her to lock up before she left. Kagome grabbed her coat and wrapped it tighter around herself. '_It's cold out tonight'_. The wind picked up and whipped her dark hair behind her. Annoyed she pushed the hair out of her face.

Kagome hated to walk home this late at night alone. But, she needed the job at the bar. It helped to pay off the mountain of bills that arrived at the end of the month. She listened to the click of her shoes against the sidewalk. The rhythmic sound made her space out for the next couple of blocks. But, she picked up her pace when she noticed that another pair of shoes joined the sound of her own.

Kagome didn't dare to look back. She was too worried about making it home safe. _'What if its one of those dog demons everyone is talking about…' _she was relieved to see the steps of her apartment building come into view. Quickly she pulled out her keys and ran up the stairs into the building. Kagome made her way over to the elevator only to be disappointed. An "out of order" sign hung next to the elevator. She would have to take the stairs up to the fifth floor.

'_All I want is to be safe inside of my apartment. How come nothing seems to go my way? Ever since the handyman quit most of the light bulbs haven't been changed around here. It's probably going to be a dark climb up to my floor.' _

Seeing the dark stairwell only confirmed her suspicions. Reluctantly she began her hike up the stairs. _'I don't like this. What if the person who was following me is still behind me?'_ Kagome heard footsteps behind her again.

"Great" she groaned to herself.

She began to walk more quickly until she found herself running up the stairs. The quicker that she walked the quicker the footsteps got. Finally she reached her floor and ran out into the dimly lit hallway. Kagome swiftly turned around.

"What do you want from me?" she screamed down the hallway.

When no response came she went hastily to her apartment door and opened it. Just as quickly as she opened it she slammed it shut again behind her, clicking the lock into place.

'That was close." She breathed out.

END CHAPPIE!

Sorry for the short chappie. I know I'm going in a different direction this time. Leave a comment please. No flames. Adios readership.


	2. Pancakes

"What do you want from me?" she screamed down the hallway.

When no response came she went hastily to her apartment door and opened it. Just as quickly as she opened it she slammed it shut again behind her, clicking the lock into place.

'That was close." She breathed out while leaning with her back against the door. Her hand was up to her heart in an attempt to slow its quick pace. She stood there for a few minutes trying to calm down before she made her way to the kitchen.

Inuyasha's view

He stayed in the shadows of the stairwell. His form was hidden in the darkness.

"What do you want from me?" Her voice echoed through the hallway.

He waited until he heard her door slam shut and her lock click. Then he made his way out of the dimness of the stairwell. The end of his trench coat was swept back behind him as he made his way to her apartment door. There he sat leaning against the door listening to her. His ears perked up when he heard her heart beat slow down.

He knew that she was just on the other side of the door. She was so close to him. After a few minutes he heard the girl move from the door and walk away.

"Your safe for tonight, girl." Getting up from where he sat in front of the door he returned to the shadowy stairwell and disappeared.

Morning: around 6:15

Location: Kagome's Apartment

The sound coming from the silver alarm clock jolted her awake.

"Gooooodmorning Tokyo! It is a beautiful day. The sun is shining with an average temperature of about 83 to…"

Her hand came down on the off button and silenced the perky radio announcer. Rubbing her eyes she rolled out of bed. Her stomach suddenly growled in protest.

Groggily she mumbled to herself. "…Pancakes…breakfast…hungry…"

Her morning started off in the usual way. She ate breakfast, and then went out jogging. It seemed like the excitement last night was far in the past and forgotten about. She continued her morning jog and didn't notice the pair of golden eyes that watched her.


	3. Humans and Demons

Her morning started off in the usual way. She ate breakfast, and then went out jogging. It seemed like the excitement last night was far in the past and forgotten about. She continued her morning jog and didn't notice the pair of golden eyes that watched her.

Kagome was back in her apartment. She just changed out of her jogging suit and was walking around with her hair in a messy ponytail. She was still a little jumpy from the "stalker" incident. Just thinking about it made her blood run cold. A shiver went down her spine as she tried to imagine what her follower had looked like. If he was anything like the guys on court T.V. than he was an ugly 40 year old drunk. Kagome cringed at the thought. She jumped when the phone suddenly rang. Quickly she raced to the phone to answer it.

"Hello?"

Sesshoumaru's voice came through the other line. "Hello, Kagome. Listen, can you come into work early tonight?"

"Of course. What time do you need me?"

"8:00 will be absolutely…perfect." The line clicked and he was gone. That's the way Sesshoumaru usually was. He was always mysterious, kind of creepy and he never said goodbye.

Kagome hung up the phone. She thought to herself for a moment. _'What was that supposed to mean? …perfect…more like creepy.'_ She shrugged the idea off.

Kagome mentally slapped herself. _I'm being silly. Geez, everything's creepy to me lately. I'm just worrying too much.' _

8:00 rolled around. Kagome put on her Work clothes and headed for the bar. Her mind raced. She was alone again walking in the dark and she hated it. Fortunately, no footsteps were heard behind her this time. She reached the doors of The Dog House bar and stepped inside. Sesshoumaru was right there. Some of the lights were off and it was hard to see. He closed the doors behind her and locked them.

"W…What are you doing?" Kagome began to stutter and an instant wave of discomfort flowed over her. Sesshoumaru put a hand on her shoulder and his free hand flipped the remaining lights on.

"We won't be open for business today. There's some other business that has to be taken care of first."

"What other business?" Kagome tried to move away from Sesshoumaru.

"You…You are the other business. Turn around."

Kagome's eyes widened with fear as she turned around. It was all of the usual customers at the bar. They were all sitting at their usual tables and they were staring at her. She was frozen now with fear. There were at least a hundred of them and only one of her.

"S…Sesshoumaru please don't…"

He interrupted her. 'You know dear innocent Kagome, It's dirty humans like you that corrupt this planet. All of you humans say that it's the demons that are ruining this world."

"Demons…" Kagome said with realization in her scared voice.

"Yes, we are all demons here. You humans call us scum and murder our kind. You thought we all ran. Well guess what? We didn't go anywhere. In fact we are looking forward to a little revenge. How about a trade? The lives of countless demons for the lives of you and your kind."

"But…why me?" Kagome was now so scared that tears streamed down her face."

Sesshoumaru walked up to her and placed his hand on her cheek gently. "Because you're human and you're scum." He said in a gentle voice.

Kagome looked up at him with tears still streaming down her face. Sesshoumaru took his hand off of her cheek and instead used it to shove her harshly backwards into a group of angry dog demons. They caught her but, their sharp claws dug into her slightly.

For the first time since she met her boss he finally said it. "Goodbye, Kagome."

Comments: Sorry I know it's been…months? But there is an update! Pls I would like to know if you guys like this story or not. Reviews would be helpful thanx:)


	4. The Moons Pull

The claws of the dog demons dug into her skin as he said goodbye to her. She felt as if her heart stopped beating. No air would enter her lungs. The moment was frozen in time to her, like the world just stopped. The image of Sesshoumaru's face as he lifted his clawed hand toward the ceiling was all in slow motion. She saw everything…every detail.

She saw the gleam of the light off of his sharp nails as he brought them down on her. The claws ripped through the front of her and she screamed. Blood poured from the wound across her stomach. Unbearable pain swept through her body and sent her spiraling into darkness. Everything was pitch black. She could hear fighting and yelling but, it all seemed far away…

/.\/.\/.\/.\/.\/.\

Hours later…she could feel the bite of a cold breeze moving across her skin. Her eyes refused to open for a moment. Kagome was scared of what she would see if she did open them. After a few minutes Kagome forced her eyes open. But, she was laying somewhere very cold and dark. Thoughts flooded her mind.

'_Where am I? Am I…dead?'_

She looked to her right and saw that the moon was pouring in through a broken window. Black beat-up fabric danced in the breeze. It looked as if they used to be curtains in a beautiful mansion but, time and neglect had torn them and made them old. Her vision was a little blurry but she could still make out the figure of a man in the window.

Kagome suddenly remembered the claws that dug into her stomach and the pain she felt. She lifted her blood stained shirt and saw that clean white bandages were wrapped neatly around her stomach.

She turned back to the shadowy figure and tried to speak in a weak voice. "…You"

The shadow turned toward her and golden eyes stared through the darkness at her. They pierced right through her with their brilliance. And the milky white moon in the background just added to the effect of the image. It was brilliant like a painting.

A voice that was gentle and harsh at the same time came from the figure. "So, I guess you did have some fight left in you, huh?"

"What do you mean? And who are you?" She wanted to scream the questions at him but only a whisper would come out of her weak body. Suddenly it hit her. That voice was the same voice she heard in the bar when everything had gone dark. "You…You're one of them." She tried to move but, nothing happened.

"You're not in the condition to try and run right now. And besides I'm not the one you should be running from, girl." His response was harsh and did not provide the answers she was looking for. "Besides it's not like we've never met before."

"Wait! I remember golden eyes! You are…his brother" She watched as he looked up at the moon. Slowly he stood up and walked over to her. Kagome suddenly grew tense with fear. "I don't need anymore demons in my life right now."

"Good, cause I'm only half demon." He moved over next to her and sat down. "Is this really how you treat people who save your life?"

"You saved my life?"

"Of course stupid who else do you think turned off all the lights in the bar and got you away from them?"

Kagome could faintly make out four scratches on his cheek, no doubt from claws, which were bleeding. "So that's the fighting that I heard. But, why would you want to save me?"

"You ask too many questions you know that." His eyes turned gentle and kind of sad as he turned back towards the moon. "You don't have to stay here you know. You can leave anytime you want but, I don't guarantee you'll be safe if you go."

Kagome suddenly felt warm and safe right where she was. Her weak body was pleading for sleep as she yawned. "I think I'll stay…" She said as she drifted to sleep.

The half demon next to her simply smirked up at the moon.

Comments: Awwwwwwww. How cute. Hope you guys don't mind a little fluff.


	5. Short and Sweet

The morning sun slowly made its way across the floor and over to where Kagome was laying on the ground. (Sorry about not specifying before, she is on the floor). The light beamed down upon her from the window and forced her to open her eyes. Again she wondered where she was until she remembered the half demon last night.

Slowly she got up from the floor. Pain ripped through her at the movement. But she ignored the feeling; she wanted to find her rescuer to thank him. Kagome had forgotten to do that last night. But, last night was still fresh in her mind. And she winced at the thought of seeing Sesshoumaru's claws come down upon her. The pain from her wound emanated with the memory.

The nameless golden eyed hero was nowhere in sight. She searched the windowsill where he had been last night, but there was only a dustless spot where he had been sitting. Thinking back Kagome remembered the broken window and the black curtains that had been blowing in the breeze. Everything looked different in the light.

'_I bet he looks different in the light too' _Kagome pictured the eyes that had pierced right through her only hours ago. She couldn't help but feel sort of sad now that he had disappeared. Sure she had only known him for one night but, he had promised himself to her in that one night. He had saved her life and she couldn't thank him now.

'_He said he would protect me…I wonder where my hero is now?'_

Comments: I know this is extremely short but, I can't concentrate. My mom's boyfriend just proposed to my mom today and it was so cute! I have a step dad now. Yay! By the way thank you everyone for the reviews you have given me I really appreciate it a lot: )


	6. Photographic Update

'_Where is my hero now?'_

Kagome stared out the window with an expression of disappointment on her face. She sighed.

'_What am I supposed to do now?'_

She felt like an insignificant speck in the middle of the huge room, with its shattered glass, and dust covered floors. Looking up she gasped. The ceiling went on forever until it disappeared into the darkness. It was like something out of "Phantom of the Opera". A million spiral staircases were probably hidden in this place. The grandness of the room made her long for her little city apartment.

Kagome turned her attention back to the world outside the window. Across the street people were buying doughnuts from a little bakery. They all looked tiny from where she sat high above them. Looking more closely she could barely make out the sign above the little shop. It read "Steven's Bakery". Kagome immediately recognized where she was. Steven's Bakery was only about three blocks from her apartment.

'_Well I can't sit in this old building's window forever. I have to go home.'_

Kagome got up from the windowsill and found her way to a door that had an old beat-up exit sign hanging above it. The door opened up into a stairwell that led down the many floors of the building and outside. She sighed and began the long walk home.

./\./\./\./\./\./\./\./\./\.

Kagome reached the door of apartment number 23, her home. She fished through her pockets and was happy when she found that she still had her keys with her. She unlocked the door and stepped inside. Sun flooded into the small apartment, giving it a cheery warm feeling. The light from the window helped to calm her nerves and she collapsed onto her light blue sofa. But, not before locking the door behind her.

The television remote sat next to her leg begging for her to click the T.V. on and relax. It seemed like a good idea. Kagome channel surfed brainlessly for a little while before stopping to watch the news. Something had caught her attention. The announcer's voice came loud and clear from the screen.

"It was exactly two years ago today that we had our first encounter with the beasts. We all know them well. Every day the people of Tokyo must live in fear of these demons. Who knows when they will strike again? Today I have been asked to remind everyone that they need to keep safe from these creatures. I have a list of tips prepared to help keep people safe and alive from creatures like this…"

A picture appeared on the screen. It was a famous picture. In fact it was the first photograph ever taken that warned humans of the demonic race that walked the streets with them. Kagome had seen the picture at least a hundred times before but, today it was different. She stared wide-eyed at the photo on the screen. It was hard to make out anything in the picture except dog ears and a pair of deep piercing…golden eyes.

Quickly Kagome rummaged through her entertainment center looking for a blank tape. She pulled out a tape from way in the back and practically threw it into her VCR. Not a second later she was hitting record and recording the face onto the tape.

'_It was him! He's the one who exposed all of the dog demons. No wonder Sesshoumaru had kicked him out of the bar. He had exposed every last one of them just, because a smart photographer had captured his dog ears on film.'_

Kagome sat back with a look of realization and confusion plastered on her face. First of all this is a hard look to achieve. Second if all, she was now an acquaintance with the infamous dog demon who she now knew was only a half demon.

Kagome stopped recording and rewound the tape. She pressed pause when the photo appeared on the screen. She stared at the eyes that watched her through the television.

'_I don't even know your name…but, you're fascinating.'_

Comments: Thank you everyone for reading and leaving reviews. It's really appreciated. I want to let you all know that I don't know if I will be able to update for a while. I'm having problems with my computer. But, don't worry.I promise that I will update as soon as possible. I shouldn't be longer than a week. Thank you for being patient. : )


	7. Weakness

Kagome went to bed not realizing that she left the T.V. paused on his face. Pale moonlight washed through the blinds and colored her bed with a striped pattern. The room was still and the only sound was of Kagome's gentle breathing as she dreamed. His face haunted her. Who was he? Where was he?

Half dreaming, Kagome sleepily mumbled. "Half demon…"

"You called?" A voice answered her through the dark.

Kagome jolted awake. She sat up in her bed and strained to see in the darkness of her bedroom. She looked toward her lazy chair in the corner of the room. The striped pattern of moonlight showed the fangs and golden eyes of her half demon stalker/hero. He was back.

"You…What are you doing here?" Kagome asked shocked at his presence.

"What do you think I'm doing here? I said I'd protect you. Right, now you're in a very dangerous position. Every demon in town is probably after you…and me, and you're right in the first place they would look…your home" His eyes watched her through the darkness as arrogance dripped off of his every word.

Kagome was still in shock. "But…Well…" Kagome was struggling to find something to say to him. She was getting frustrated at herself. Desperately she searched for something to say. "Well…What do you expect me to do? I woke up and you just disappeared!" Kagome's frustrated tone suddenly turned soft and gentle toward him. "What I mean to say is that you left…and I never got to thank you."

The half demon sat lazily in the corner of the room with an expression of confusion on his face. It was as if he had never been thanked before. Like, Kagome was the first person to show him any kindness. It was true; it had been years since anyone had been kind to him. He wasn't sure what to say to her. So, he sat in silence.

There was tension between the two of them now as the unbearable lack of sound built up. Kagome didn't take her eyes off of him for one second. She was afraid that if she did he would disappear again.

The tension grew worse until she finally asked the question that had been bugging her. "I'm sorry, but I don't remember your name. What is it?"

His voice gently answered her. "My name is Inuyasha."

He stood up from the chair and walked over to Kagome's bed. He looked amazing and mysterious as the moonlight danced on him through the window. Inuyasha stood next to her.

Kagome looked up at him. "What is it?"

He rummaged through some pockets inside of his trench coat as he spoke. "Sit back."

"What!...why?" Kagome felt intimidated with his tall form standing next to her.

Inuyasha didn't feel like arguing. His clawed hands pulled back the comforter and pulled up Kagome's shirt. (No, not too high up…perverts)

A scream echoed through the bedroom as Kagome jumped away from him. Heat rose to her cheeks as she blushed. "What do you think you're doing?" Anger and fear filled her words.

Inuyasha showed her his other hand. As he opened up his fist, Kagome saw bandages and antiseptic. "I was going to change your bandages. The other ones are dirty by now." He smirked at her realizing what she must have thought.

"Well you could have warned me! I thought…You…and…never mind! Just warn me next time."

With a swift and gentle precision Inuyasha sliced through the old bandages with his claws. He sat there cleaning the wound across her stomach. Kagome watched him. He was tender as he cleaned each cut to perfection. Through Inuyasha's eyes, all he could see was the smooth porcelain skin of her stomach that was now invaded by betraying wounds. The softness of her skin made him long to touch it but, he pushed those thoughts aside and scolded himself silently.

Inuyasha stopped cleaning. As he put the antiseptic away, Kagome sat up and waited for the fresh bandages. He wrapped the bandages around her trim waist. When he was done He walked back over to the lazy chair and sat down. Inuyasha didn't want another moment of weakness to come to him like it had before.

"Are you going to sleep in a chair?" Kagome raised an eyebrow at him.

Inuyasha just nodded at her from across the room.

"Suit yourself…sweet dreams, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha stared at her for a moment. Kagome was treating him like he was an honored guest. But, really he was an intruder. The term "sweet dreams" had thrown him off even more and he fell silent for a moment.

"Goodnight, Kagome."


	8. Shattered Into Pieces

Comments: I wasn't very happy with my last chapter. But, I like this one. I hope you guys like it too! On to the story…

Kagome turned her back to the sun that was unpleasantly waking her from her dreams. A quick glance at her clock told her it was 10:30. She lazily yawned and sat up in bed. The girl stretched her arms toward the ceiling in her routine manner. The smell of fresh coffee filled her nose and woke her senses.

She looked over toward the empty lazy chair in the corner. Inuyasha had probably been up hours before her. A feeling of wanting to spend the whole day in bed came over her but the smell of the coffee forced her out of bed.

She walked from her bedroom into the living room, rubbing her eyes sleepily as she walked. She didn't even bother to open her eyes as she dragged herself into the kitchen and poured a cup of coffee. One sip of the rich drink and her eyes opened. She walked back into the living room where Inuyasha was sitting on the floor right in front of the T.V. An empty mug sat on the coffee table behind him.

"Good morning." Kagome said as she took another sip.

Inuyasha didn't answer. He kept looking at the T.V. Kagome walked over to the couch and sat down. She set her coffee mug on the table next to Inuyasha's. His body blocked the view of the television from her.

"So…What are you watching?" She asked, curiosity filling her mind. No answer. "Hello? …You know you're a guest in my house you can at least answer me."

Inuyasha stood up and grabbed the empty coffee mug and walked into the kitchen. Kagome shot him a confused look as he walked away.

'_Well, someone's not a morning person.'_ She thought to herself.

Kagome turned her attention to the T.V. and saw what he had been watching. The VCR made a quiet humming noise as it stayed on the image she had paused on before. It was his face. Inuyasha's eyes looked out from the screen. Kagome had forgotten to turn off the VCR before she went to bed. She hurried after him into the Kitchen.

"Listen, I can explain…"

"Explain what? You were curious about me. It's understandable." Inuyasha struggled to keep his emotions under control.

"Well…yes. But, I…" Kagome tried to explain to Inuyasha what he already understood. He was the traitor of his own kind. She wanted to comfort him. But, she didn't want to bring back old memories. Kagome was at a loss for words. Luckily, Inuyasha spoke.

"So, what do you want to know about me? Do you want to know why I'm here? Why a dirty half breed would walk around the city knowing that he would be caught eventually. Knowing that people would hate him for being what he was. Knowing that he would have to hide himself from this world everyday. And become a friend of the shadows and the night! To be hated by the races. Is that what you want to know!"

Inuyasha was growing angry. The coffee mug in his hands began to crack under pressure. Kagome was too late. The memories of his past were flooding back from every corner of his mind. He had pushed the past deep into his stomach for years and now he was losing it because of a pathetic girl and her curiosity.

Kagome saw the cracks forming on the mug and heard the pain in his voice as he spoke of the past. She tried to calm him but, didn't know how.

"Inuyasha, please…don't talk like that."

"Like what Kagome! I'm telling the truth. That's what you want to hear."

"No! I don't want to hear that." Kagome had fear in her voice.

Inuyasha could sense the subtle change in her emotions. "You…You're afraid of me too. Aren't you?"

"I'm not…I…" Kagome couldn't finish. The mug shattered into thousands of pieces. Broken pieces of the mug stuck out from Inuyasha's fist. The shards cut into his hand.

Inuyasha walked up to Kagome. With fire in his eyes he spoke. "You're a liar." With that Inuyasha walked past her and out the door of her apartment. Kagome rushed after him. She ran out into the hallway.

"But, you're supposed to protect me!" She yelled after him.

He turned around as he reached the stairwell. "I can't protect you from myself, Kagome. You're scared of me and I can't change that." He disappeared into the stairwell.

"But!" Kagome knew he was gone but, she spoke anyway. "I'm not afraid of you, Inuyasha. I was afraid I hurt you." Kagome stood there in the hallway hoping he would come back. But, he didn't.

Comments: Drama! Yay!


	9. The Screaming Promise

Inuyasha couldn't shake the thoughts that ran annoyingly through his mind. He could almost hear Kagome's voice now. The fear that filled her words ripped through him. It felt like he couldn't do anything right. He just wanted…well, Inuyasha wasn't sure what he wanted. But, if he had a wish it would be to stay with Kagome. Even though she was afraid of him.

'_How could I be so stupid? No one will ever trust me. For one day I wish I could walk down the street without strangers looking me up and down. I don't know how I could have thought Kagome would be different. She's just another stranger to me. I won't let my mind slip like that again. I have to remember that this world is against me. That includes her.'_

Inuyasha realized that for the first time he was actually feeling his emotions and taking the time to think about them. He was so used to just pushing his stupid emotional flaws out of his mind and never dealing with them. This girl had changed him in the matter of a few days. He hated that she had that effect on him.

'_That stupid girl better learn to take care of herself without me around.'_

Guilt suddenly came over him. He had made very few promises in his life. But, he was a man of his word. Inuyasha couldn't help but feel like less of a man for breaking his promise to protect her. Without missing a beat the half demon turned around and ran back toward the apartment. He had made up his mind. He was going to keep the promise he made. If anything should happen to Kagome while he's still breathing, he would never forgive himself.

As Inuyasha neared the apartment, his heart skipped a beat. It was faint but, the smell of demons was in the air. The building's door was now in his sight and he went dashing into the building. He stopped for a second. Bodies were scattered all over the lobby of the apartment…human bodies.

'_They're here!'_

A scream shook him lose from his mind. He went running toward the stairwell. As, he rounded the corner he dug his claws into the wall and bounded up the stairs. Another scream echoed through the apartment complex.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha's voice reverberated through the stairwell.

'_Just a little further. Hold on Kagome, I'm coming.'_

Inuyasha hurried up the stairs and was suddenly grabbed in mid-step. His back was slammed up against the wall. A metal railing dug into his back and forced a growl out of him. Inuyasha regained focus and saw Kouga's face.

"Well, where do you think you're going, traitor?" A fist tightened into Inuyasha's trench coat and shoved him harder into the railing. "You should really forget about the girl. She's human. That race is weak. She would have died eventually anyways…"

Another growl came up from Inuyasha's throat. "Bastard!" Inuyasha said as he sent a fist flying into Kouga's stomach. He heard the air leave Kouga's lungs. The demon was knocked into the wall opposite of Inuyasha where he struggled to catch his breath. Inuyasha didn't give him the chance. He sent his boot flying into Kouga's face. The force from the kick sent Kouga falling backwards down the stairs. Inuyasha quickly climbed the rest of the stairs with a sinking feeling in his stomach.

'_Kagome…Don't die on me. Damn it. You have to live!'_

A/N: alright people. I love you guys. Your support is really inspiring. When I get alot of support it makes me want to write! so I hope you liked the update. Don't worry for those of you who don't like cliffies I'll update soon.


	10. Sharp

A/N: Warning…This chapter has violence. Isn't that just what the doctor ordered?

There was a loud noise from behind her apartment door. Her body came flying through the doorway seconds later. Inuyasha watched as her lifeless body lay in the hallway before him. Even though she wasn't moving there was a glow of radiance about her as if her innocent body had joined the angels. He felt his heart stop beating.

He could see the details of her soft lips, the hint of blood that trickled from the corner. He saw her porcelain skin that was spattered lightly with blood. She had fought hard. That was obvious to him. But, his mind refused to grasp the image that his eyes drank in. Locks of shiny raven hair swam around her on the carpet of the hallway.

"Kagome…" Inuyasha walked up to the vision of painful beauty and despair. Kneeling down, he lifted her head and spoke to her. And though he spoke as if singing her a lullaby with his words, his voice strained to hide the pain.

"Kagome…get up…I won't accept that you can die. Show me your strong, Kagome…please get up…"

Inuyasha laid her head back down on the carpet. His pain suddenly turned to raging anger. The hanyou turned around as he saw demons pour out from her apartment. He felt stronger than ever just before his mind went blank and he became zombie-like. The other demons were helpless to watch as his eyes turned a blood red. His claws ripped through them one by one with little effort.

His blood felt hot almost like it was boiling under his skin. His demon blood struggled to gain control of his body. Inuyasha in the meantime was fighting for control of his body. But, the demon blood was winning out. He couldn't stop himself as he sliced through another demon. Blood went flying through the air and spattered the hallway walls.

"Hey! What the hell..." Kouga's voice sounded from behind him. Kouga's fallen comrades lay in pieces all over the hall. "What the hell is wrong with you!"

Inuyasha's eyes glared a deep intense red. Growls rumbled deep in his throat as he flexed his claws.

"You will pay for taking the lives of my comrades." Kouga stood ready to fight not knowing what he was getting himself into. Inuyasha just smirked. Sharp fangs flashed at him. He flexed his claws once again before running full speed at Kouga.

Kouga sent a punch flying for Inuyasha's face. The punch was quickly dodged with a graceful swift move. Inuyasha was faster than ever. Kouga couldn't keep up. Inuyasha disappeared behind Kouga's back.

The wolf demon suddenly let out a growl of pain as claws sunk deep into both of his arms. He tried to pull away but, Inuyasha had his claws deep into the flesh of his arms. He slammed Kouga into the wall face first. A little payback for the railing incident.

Inuyasha ripped his claws out of him. The wolf demon turned quickly and sent a devastating blow to Inuyasha's stomach. But, even though he put all of his force into the punch it barely phased Inuyasha. Kouga knew that fighting would mean death for him. And he wasn't normally the type to run from a fight. But, he knew when to back down. Kouga knew what his odds were.

The wolf demon dodged a counter-punch from his opponent. He swiftly bounded through the open door of Kagome's apartment. Inuyasha wasn't far behind him. Kouga saw an open window in the living room. He quickly jumped through it breaking some of the glass. Gravity brought the wolf down to the ground of the city. But, he gracefully landed and went running off thinking _'Another day…Another day and we will fight again.' _

Inuyasha stood in the window looking down on Kouga growling. His keen senses could smell the blood from the wolf demons arms a mile away. It would be easy to catch him. He was about to jump through the window after him when his senses picked up something else. It was breathing…quiet breathing. The red color drained and faded away from his eyes. And the hot feeling of his raging demon blood began to die down.

He made his way back to the hallway still in a daze from losing it. He neared the sound of the breathing and watched as Kagome's chest rose and then fell steadily. She was alive. A slight color of pink still hung on her cheeks.

Inuyasha fell to his knees. The hall was filthy with crimes he had committed. Blood covered the walls. Bodies were everywhere. Blood dripped off of his claws. He knew it was all his fault. But, somehow through the destruction Kagome added a brilliance that erased the rest of the image. All the blood and murder disappeared as Inuyasha focused on the gentle breathing that filled his ears.

He crawled on hands and knees over to her. His body was suddenly tired from the devastation he caused. And the Demon blood had nearly wiped out every ounce of energy he had. But he still slipped his arms under Kagome's body. Picking her up gently, Inuyasha walked back into the apartment. His body refused to work but, Inuyasha still marched onto her bedroom. _'I have to get her away from this…I...have to keep moving…'_ He set her weak body on the mattress.

She looked even more peaceful now as she lay on the mattress away from all of the killing. Inuyasha felt weaker than ever. A dizzy feeling came over him, as if he stood up too fast. Things grew dark. The last thing Inuyasha saw was the rise and fall of Kagome's chest as she breathed. He could feel the mattress under him and the warmth of her body next to him as he fell onto the bed in unconsciousness.

'_Breathe Kagome…Breathe for me…'_

A/N: ha ha! Did I fool anyone?…oh well. Let me know if I made you cry in the beginning. ; )


	11. Questions and Lullabies

"Yes sir, red eyes." Kouga said warily. Sesshoumaru stood tall in front him. Rage spilled from him. His eyes were staring intently into Kouga's.

"The girl was killed right in front of him. Wasn't she?" Sesshoumaru spoke as if he could read Kouga's mind. Intelligence dripped from his voice.

"Yes, sir."

Kouga prepared himself for the worst. He knew that disobeying orders, especially from a lord, brought severe punishment. He remembered the order barked at him to avoid Inuyasha seeing Kagome while she died. Kouga swallowed hard. "Sir…"

Sesshoumaru had an unexpected look on his face. He seemed pleased with the disobedience. "Very well." He said and turned around.

"Lord, why are you pleased with this?"

Sesshoumaru didn't turn back around. He walked to the bar and poured a drink into two shot glasses. He set them on the bar. "Why do you think I sent you to lead this mission?" Sesshoumaru questioned, amusing himself.

Kouga just waited, unsure how to respond to the question.

"I sent you to lead this mission because I knew that you would fail miserably." Sesshoumaru mused.

Kouga stood still unsure how to answer. He was un-amused by Sesshoumaru's response. But, there was a more important issue now. Questions flooded his mind. _'Fail?'_

"I know what you're wondering. Why would I want you to be unsuccessful in killing them?"

"Them? Sir, Inuyasha's the only one alive. Kagome's dead."

"You act so sure of yourself. That attitude will get you nowhere with me."

"I'm sorry, my lord. I'm listening."

"Were you there when Kagome was killed? Did you actually see her die?"

"Well, no…"

"Exactly. There were specific orders for her not to be killed. She was only brought to the brink of death."

"But, why. Why wouldn't you kill them?"

"Because I want them alive for now."

Sesshoumaru picked up one of the shot glasses. He swallowed the alcohol inside and set it back on the bar. Then he refilled the glass. Sesshoumaru motioned for Kouga to sit and drink with him. He obeyed.

"I still don't understand my lord."

"Let me ask you another question then. Do you enjoy seeing humans suffer the way they made us suffer? Does it fill you with rage to think of the demons that were locked away, tortured and starved by an inferior race?"

"Yes. Yes to both of your questions." Kouga swallowed the alcohol trying to control his hate for the humans.

"I want them to live. I want them to grow close to each other and rip them apart when they're most vulnerable. I want that human to suffer like we suffered. I want my brother to pay! Like we paid! The way our race paid for his foolishness! Both of them will suffer!" With that said Kouga and Sesshoumaru picked up the glasses and drank. They drank as if Sesshoumaru's speech had been a toast to the future. A future filled with demons and power.

/\/\/

Kagome slowly opened her eyes. Everything was blurry and her mind couldn't comprehend where she was. She felt pain but, it wasn't too terrible. The room began to come back into focus. The last thing she remembered was a voice calling out to her and telling her to be strong…telling her to live.

A thought crossed her mind. It had to be him. "Inuyasha…" She said weakly. Suddenly she felt someone's arm touch her own. She turned to her side and next to her she saw Inuyasha. He looked exhausted. He hadn't even woken up when she spoke his name.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome said his name again but, louder this time. As, loud as she could anyway. Weakly Kagome tried to see his face that was currently turned away from her. She tried to move but, it was hard. She held onto his shirt and tried to pull herself closer to him. Desperately, she tried to see him. She pulled her upper body up onto his. She could feel his heart beat near her own. He was still alive.

She let go of her grasp on his shirt. "Inuyasha." She used her hand to turn his head gently to face her own. His eyes were closed and his lips were parted slightly as he breathed peacefully. She had never gotten this good of a look at him. His lips looked soft and perfect. Kagome couldn't help it as she ran a thumb over his bottom lip. It felt as soft as it looked.

Inuyasha's eyes fluttered open at the touch. He laid there silent for a moment, just staring at her and taking in the feeling of her body against his own. He could feel her heartbeat. It was so wonderful to be able to feel her heartbeat. He couldn't help it as he pulled her into a warm embrace. His arms wrapped around her and he pulled her down to him. "You're alive." He knew he was stating the obvious but, he didn't care. He was too happy now.

Kagome sighed quietly into the warm embrace. She liked the feeling of his arms around her. She didn't want the feeling to end. "Inuyasha, you came back." Now she was stating the obvious.

"I made a promise to you. I won't let you die. I could never…not while I'm still breathing."

Kagome seeked out Inuyasha for comfort by snuggling closer to him. "Please, don't let go." Kagome said in a desperate voice. Inuyasha was slightly stunned at her. But, he didn't mind holding her and protecting her.

_Close your eyes, and I will be swimming  
Lullaby's fill your room, and I will be singing  
Singing to only you  
Don't forget I'll hold your head  
Watch the night sky fading red _

But as you sleep, and no one is listening  
I will lift you off your feet, I'll keep you from sinking

_-Something Corporate_

A/N: Wow I actually did make someone cry in my last chapter! Sorry about that, inu-don't-love-kikio. Didn't mean to make you look mental. Lol. But, awesome! I love that I got some real emotion in my story. Thank you for the reviews, as always everybody!


	12. Runaways

Soon they would come for them. There was no doubt that they were already looking. Alleyways filled with figures that were crouching and waiting. Waiting for only them. Eyes watched all parts of the building…the windows…the doors. Inuyasha could smell it. They had surrounded the building. He grabbed the backpack that Kagome had filled with clothes food and bandages off of the bed. Swinging it over his shoulder, he let his eyes scan the room. A light came from under the bathroom door. He could see the shadows cast by her feet walking across the floor from under the door.

"Kagome, are you ready?" Inuyasha asked. His voice had a serious yet mellow tone. He knew that they had to leave.

Kagome emerged from the bathroom. Her fresh clothes easily covered the fact that she was injured. Inuyasha was a different case. He had washed his hands and clothing but blood still remained on his hands. This blood was different. It wasn't visible to anyone else but Inuyasha. He glanced at his own hands with a despised look. He was a murderer. All those demons were slaughtered by him. But, there was no time to mourn, they had to leave.

Kagome's voice came to Inuyasha like a gentle breeze. Her voice didn't contain a regretful tone but an airy one. She was ready to run. To her this meant freedom. Inuyasha was taken back by the fact that Kagome could even turn running for their lives into something positive. The raven haired girl shook her head. "I'm ready now."

"Give me your dirty bandages."

/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\

Kouga crouched in the alleyway among many other demons. He was once again sent to lead another mission. But, this time he understood the game. In a monotone voice Kouga gave orders to the others. "When you smell them on the other side of the door, rush the building. Do not kill them. They are to stay alive according to the lord's orders."

The demons waited for the signal intently. The smell of human blood and hanyou blood started to form in the air. Kouga got ready. As the smell on the other side of the door grew stronger he spoke. "Now!"

Demons flooded from the alleyway and blocked all the exits from the building. Demons rushed the doorway where the smell came from. Kouga was in front. As the wolf burst through the door he came to a sudden halt. Dirty bandages and towels covered in their blood littered the floor of the lobby. His eyes widened as he realized he had been so easily deceived. Kouga shoved through his comrades and ran back out of the building. Looking up toward the roof of the building he saw the shadow of a hanyou carrying a human on his back jump to the roof of the building next to the apartment complex.

"Very clever trick, Inuyasha. But, it was stupid of you to run. We will find you." Kouga said to the shadow that jumped from roof to roof.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

"Kagome hold on tight!" Inuyasha yelled to the girl on his back as he soared to another rooftop.

_She wants to shake this scene  
Yeah she wants to shake with me  
She's not looking for the holes in all the lies  
I wanna bullet proof your soul  
Would you like to lose control  
I won't let you fall until you tell me so  
What are we?  
(watcha wanna be)  
Everything!  
That you wanna be  
All I need_

_-Goo Goo Dolls_

Kagome gripped Inuyasha's shoulders with her hands. It felt amazing to go flying from rooftop to rooftop. The girl couldn't help but giggle to herself as she looked back at all the demons helplessly watching as they escaped.

"Did they fall for the blood scented bandages trick?" Inuyasha questioned the girl on his back.

Kagome giggled again. "They sure did. Kouga looks really ticked off."

Inuyasha smirked to himself as he flew to another building. He gracefully landed on the pebbled rooftop. Without hesitation he ran and took off in another leap before landing again.

Kagome snuggled her head near Inuyasha's ear. She whispered to him. "Does this mean we are runaways now?"

"runaways?"

The girl sighed. "yea, are we going to run like this forever?"

Inuyasha paused and jumped to another roof. "I guess so. What other choice do we have?"

"I don't know. But, we have no home now."

"Hey…you have no home. I'm used to this sort of thing remember?" Inuyasha hadn't realized before that this whole thing was new to Kagome. She was never on the streets like he had been. Inuyasha thought that his statement might upset her so he tried to lighten the mood.

"You have me anyway. I know what I'm doing. Everything will be okay, don't worry."

Kagome sighed into his ear again. "yes, at least I have you." Inuyasha couldn't help it as he smiled a little to himself, pleased with her reaction.

_You're a bullet through my soul  
But I'll never let you know  
I won't let you fall until you let go  
What are we?  
(watcha wanna be)  
Everything!  
That you wanna be  
…All I need_

_-Goo Goo Dolls_

A/N: Finally an update! I've been busy with school projects. But, don't worry the updates will continue. As always thanks for the reviews!


	13. Wash Them Away

Sesshoumaru swirled the alcohol in his glass. His eyes remained focused on the dark wine. Light reflected off of the top of the dark red drink. The crimson of the wine pulled him back into his own mind. Memories swam up from his stomach until he gulped some more wine down suppressing the memories inside once again.

Three years…three years since she had died. Three years since he started drinking. And three years since the massacre at Convend. Yes, it was still clear in his mind. Hundreds had died in the attack on the small town of Convend, humans and demons alike.

The sound of her voice swam back up from his memories. He could see it in his mind as if he had been there himself. But, he had not been there. And that is why she had died. Now it haunted him. The anniversary of the massacre was on this very day.

He swallowed more of the wine. Emotions flooded his veins. Yes, if he could describe how he was feeling that would be it. It felt like his emotions had taken control of his blood and now swam within him. They flooded his brain making him focus on the past, creating a warm feeling within his own skin…or perhaps he had just drank too much. Maybe the wine was getting the best of him. Whatever it was…he couldn't help but replay the memories in his mind.

He imagined how she had sounded screaming for help. Being pushed back by crowds of running people. Screaming for him to save her. But, her efforts to run had probably failed. It had been too crowded. She was pushed back too easily by the swarms of people. Sesshoumaru winced at the thought. A voice that he hadn't heard in a long time sounded within his mind and it felt as if she could be sitting next to him…an impossible thought. But, none the less he swore he heard it.

'_Help me! Sesshoumaru help!'_ The thought ended with a painful scream. Sesshoumaru threw the empty glass of wine against the wall where it shattered.

"Leave me alone! Stop haunting me like this!" Sesshoumaru shouted to the empty bar slightly drunk from the wine. When he realized what he was doing he calmed himself. Slouching on the bar stool he put his head in his hands, like a child would do if they were crying. He did not cry though. He never cried. All he did was let her name pass his lips in a whisper.

"…Rin…"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Thunder rolled in the distance. Gray clouds were darkening the already black night.

"Oh no…" Kagome said as she got off of Inuyasha's back. Standing on the roof the two runaways looked toward the sky. A sudden loud boom of thunder shook the roof. Lightning lit everything up, electrifying the shadows. Kagome smiled. She loved thunder storms.

"That was awesome!" Kagome gazed at the sky with the wonder of a child. But, there was no response from Inuyasha. She turned to look at him. The hopeless hanyou had his hands over his ears. His face looked less than amused.

"That was not awesome!" Inuyasha said with a hate for the sudden loud noise and the thought of impending rain.

"You know…its going to…" Kagome started.

"Don't say it!" he interrupted her.

She smiled in an evil way. "It's going to…"

"Don't!" Inuyasha pleaded with her as if he were 4 years old again.

She smiled again. "Rain!"

Inuyasha shot her a look that said you shouldn't have done that. Just at that moment drops of water fell from the clouds. They hit his face and rolled down his cheeks. An annoyed growl escaped his throat as he took off his trench coat. "Well this is just perfect." He said as he hid from the rain by throwing the coat over his head.

"Come on Inuyasha the rain isn't that bad." She tried to tell him but he remained hidden under his own coat.

"Ha! A waterfall would be dryer than that!" he poked his hand out from under the coat and pointed at the sky.

Kagome giggled. "Come on!" The rain was now soaking Kagome and her clothes felt as if they weighed a ton. The chill of the water was surprisingly refreshing. The girl felt renewed. She was beginning a new life with Inuyasha. They were both running away together. It felt like she was in a movie and the rain was washing her clean.

Kagome walked over to Inuyasha and tried to pry the coat from his hands. He resisted with the strength and stubbornness of a demon. After a few minutes of struggling to get him to join her in the rain she gave up.

"Fine! I'll have fun on my own." The dark haired girl gave him the same smile that she had given him when they first met. Inuyasha looked out at her from under the trench coat over his head. He watched as she walked out on the roof and let the rain hit her. She didn't hide from it she just stood there letting the water fall onto her and kiss her skin, leaving behind trails of sensation as they trickled down it.

She turned her head up toward the sky, eyes closed in bliss. Inuyasha raised an eyebrow._ 'How can you enjoy the rain? It's wet. It's cold. It's…'_ He took the coat off from his head. "It's…not that bad…" He said almost surprised. The hanyou stared out at the girl in front of him. His vision was blurred by falling raindrops. Water trickled down and dripped off of his hair and into his eyes.

Kagome turned around and saw that Inuyasha was standing in the rain. His trench coat was lying on the ground next to his feet. Kagome couldn't help but smile a little. She walked over to him.

"Not that bad, huh?" The hanyou didn't respond to her question. He just stared at her. His breathing became heavy as water rolled down his face and over his lips. Whenever he breathed out raindrops were pushed down his bottom lip until they trailed down his chin. Kagome was also breathing heavy as the rain fell harder on both of them. Eyes squinted trying to keep water from getting in.

Inuyasha picked up his trench coat from the roof and held it over both of them. He smiled at Kagome, drops still trailing down his face and dripping from his hair. He stared into Kagome's eyes. She was soaked from head to toe. Water dripping from her bangs. He watched as a single raindrop dripped from her bangs and rolled down her lips.

Kagome saw as the golden eyes that were in front of her stared at her lips. Focusing on them. Inuyasha moved in closely. His eyes full of love, half closed, partly from the water, partly from the feeling inside of him. "Kagome…" He whispered her name to her.

The girl only waited her lips parted slightly as she breathed. She stared into the eyes that were close to her now. Inuyasha rested his forehead on Kagome's. The two smiled at each other still staring into each others eyes. Kagome felt his arms lace around her waist and pull her close as his lips collided softly with hers.

_Dizziness_

_Floating_

…_love_


	14. Kiss of Death

'…_What am I doing?'_

Inuyasha stopped kissing the girl. Gently he pulled away from her. Kagome opened her eyes…the kiss had been far too short. She wanted to demand more from him. Instead, Kagome didn't say anything at all. She just looked at him. Inuyasha was keeping his eyes cast toward the ground.

'_He…he's not even looking at me…'_

The awkwardness that now flowed between them didn't go unnoticed. "Inu…" Kagome started but, was cut off.

"I'm sorry." The hanyou still didn't look up.

"For what?" Sadness had become apparent in her voice. Kagome tried to see into his eyes to see what he was feeling. But, he kept them cast toward the ground. "Inuyasha…You didn't do anything wrong…" The girl grabbed for his hand and laced her fingers with his. "I promise…" She tried to smile but, the moment was short-lived.

Inuyasha tugged his hand free of hers. "Don't make promises to me."

"But, Inuyasha…"

"Kagome look at us!" He now grabbed for her hand. Except he wasn't gentle. His hand wrapped around her wrist and held it up. He looked at her delicate fingers. "Look, at you Kagome. Now what's the difference between me and you?" The girl didn't answer him. "I'll tell you the difference. Your hands are gentle…pure…and mine…they are tainted and give me the power to rip through you, dropping you dead where you stand."

"But, I know you wouldn't do that to me!" The girl started to cry and tears rolled down her cheeks.

"I wouldn't? Do you know how many humans I've killed with these claws? I've killed hundreds! No probably thousands!"

Kagome was now crying harder. She didn't want to hear this…not now. Inuyasha's grip on her wrist had become tighter. "You killed them in self defense!" Kagome tried to shoot off a remark that would explain his actions.

"I know you would like to believe that. But they were helpless. All of them…running for their lives."

"I don't believe it! I won't!"

"Fine Kagome, fine." Inuyasha dropped the girl's hand. "But, it's the truth."

"Why?"

"Because demon blood is in me. When it takes over then I'll kill anything that gets in my way…that includes you."

The girl stopped crying. She gave him a look of uncertainty and uneasiness. Wiping the tears from her face she spoke. "I would rather be killed by these hands…" She laced her fingers in his once again and lifted up both of his hands. "Than be killed by the hands of some demon."

Inuyasha pulled away again. "But, I am some demon! I don't know if you're blind but anyone can see that I'm…"

"I'm not blind. I see what I want to see."

"Yea, that's your problem. Why don't you try seeing the truth sometime?"

Kagome's face turned sad again but, she didn't cry. She breathed in deeply and responded. "I don't see some demon. I see Inuyasha. That's who you are. I'm not blind."

Inuyasha went to open his mouth once again to speak but, Kagome stopped him. "Let me talk. I have things that I'm ashamed of too. So don't act like you're the only one here who feels all screwed up on the inside." Inuyasha tried to speak again but, was stopped a second time. "I said let me talk…You act like you're the only one in this world who's ever been hurt. But, there isn't a human or demon that goes through life without being hurt eventually. So tell me then, if I'm so blind how come I can see that and you can't? If I'm just another stupid human to you…" Those words stabbed at Inuyasha. "Than how come I can accept you and your past but, you can't?" The girl stared intently into his eyes. Inuyasha sat there speechless. "Inuyasha, I can accept who you are. I can accept every part of you."

The girl showed her dedication to him by kissing him gently. This time he didn't pull away. Her lips ran softly over his. And within seconds it was over. But, the tingling feeling stayed on his lips. The hanyou stood unsure of what move to make. She had a point. If she had accepted him even though he was a murderer, how come he couldn't?

"Kagome…"

"Don't talk Inuyasha. Don't tell me anything else. You already know what you need to do. If you can't do that then maybe…maybe…"

"Don't say you'll leave Kagome."

"What do you want Inuyasha? Make up your mind. First you're pushing me away and now you don't want me to go."

"I know…I know. I just don't want to keep you here with me if you could get hurt. And it's almost a guarantee you will be…maybe even by me."

"I don't care Inuyasha. I want to stay. Will you let me stay with you?"

A/N: wow! Lots of different emotions! I seem to be doing that a lot lately. Oh well! Thank you everyone for all your support. I've been getting reviews left and right. I love it! Thank you everyone!


	15. Bleeding Myth

"I don't care Inuyasha. I want to stay. Will you let me stay with you?"

The girl waited for a response. She tried to read the expression on Inuyasha's face but it was blank. He seemed void of emotions. A minute had passed in silence with only the sound of the rain beating down on the trench coat above their heads.

"I'll let you stay. But you have to understand…"

Inuyasha saw the expression on Kagome's face. It was like he could read her mind. She had to be thinking 'what are you trying to say?' The hanyou changed his tone.

"Come on, Kagome. We should find somewhere to get out of the rain."

She gave him a strange look but didn't argue with him. By now the rain was chilling her senses. Inuyasha pulled the coat off of his head and gave it to Kagome so she could keep dry. The girl climbed on his back and held on tight as they went sailing from the rooftops to an alleyway. Once Inuyasha's feet hit the ground he started running.

"Inuyasha, where are we going?"

"I'm not sure. But, I think I remember seeing an old abandoned house or something near the edge of the city. We can stay there. It would be safer to get out of sight too…"

"Right, your sense of smell is dulled with the rain."

"Yea, how did you know that?"

A loud boom of thunder sent vibrations trough everything making Kagome tense. Inuyasha could feel the change in the girl. She was squeezing his shoulders tighter now. All she wanted was to be dry. The rain was falling harder. Inuyasha picked up his pace trying to get the girl out of the rain.

"Don't worry we're almost there." He said as he went half running half jumping quickly through alleyways.

/\/\/\/\/\

Eyes were watching from within it. In the solitude of the old prophetic library she stood keeping vigil in the window…waiting. She waited for the day that someone would re-light the candles that protruded from the brick walls. Dried crumbling wax served as a reminder of the flame that she yearned for. A smile came to her pale ghost-like face as she saw two figures approaching the library. Leaving her place at the window she took one of the old candles, breaking off pieces of wax, she pulled it from its place on the wall and rolled it toward the door before disappearing into the shadows.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Inuyasha shoved the creaky doors open. Putting a hand up he signaled for Kagome to stay where she was. He stepped inside the darkness of the old building. Taking a step forward he felt something touch his foot. He froze where he was. Inuyasha felt for the object at his feet. Picking it up he could tell by the waxy feeling that it was a candle.

"Kagome, there's a lighter in my coat. Toss it to me." He said as he stood in the doorway.

Kagome rummaged through the old coat and tossed him the lighter. He caught it and lit the candle. Then Inuyasha re-entered the building. As he walked further in the candle barley provided any light. There was just enough to see about 7 inches ahead. But something caught Inuyasha's attention. Through the corner of his eye he could see a shadow next to him. Quickly he whirled toward it with the candle. But, nothing was there.

"I could have sworn…"

"Inuyasha! Can I come in yet?" The girl was standing in the doorway.

"Just a minute." The hanyou went through the rest of the building lighting candles on the wall until the room was filled with dim light. He gave a quick sniff and was satisfied that no one had been in the building for a while. "Ok, come on."

"Wow it's huge. Look at all the books." Kagome said as she whirled around taking in the room.

"Yea, looks like an old library." The hanyou shrugged his shoulders uninterested in the books. He wanted to talk about what was on his mind. "We can't stay in this city. You know that right?"

Kagome snapped out of her curiosity. "Um…yea…I know." She said hesitantly.

Inuyasha looked at the girl for a second. He stared at her wondering if she was ok with leaving or not. "I'm sorry if I'm rushing you out of here. But, I guess we both got ourselves into this…"

"Mess" Kagome finished his sentence.

"Yea…mess." Inuyasha said as he rubbed the back of his neck. Uneasiness seemed to be a repeating emotion whenever he talked to Kagome. And not to mention all of this was happening really fast. One minute the poor girl is working in a bar the next she's running away with a hanyou who just killed twenty demons in her apartment hallway. Inuyasha kind of snickered at the irony but, felt like it was wrong to laugh. Inuyasha leaned with his back against a tall marble bookcase. He sighed with a sense of weariness taking over him. That wasn't surprising after all the running and jumping and then more running that he had done. He slid down the bookcase until he was sitting on the floor. Closing his eyes, he could feel sleep taking him.

Kagome was still busy with all the books. They were fascinating to her. The books looked like they were at least 200 years old. Ignoring the half-sleeping hanyou she decided to walk around instead of sleep.

Kagome walked through some aisles full of huge thick books. One particular book caught her attention. It was sticking out a little from the shelf. She grabbed it and pulled it off of the bookcase. Dust filled the air and Kagome managed to hold in a cough, afraid to wake up Inuyasha. Looking at the cover she read the words "Illusion: Legends of the Race". She couldn't help it as she thumbed through the book. It was an account of demon legends. They were fascinating. She reached a page that showed a picture of a huge white dog with red eyes and it was labeled "Bleeding Myth". Kagome read the text:

_A day will come that will leave the dust unsettled_

_Waking the lust inside of the circle_

_They stand tall waiting for the feast_

_A drop of fresh nectar, not of the deceased_

_Feed the markers for the possession you seek_

_A warning: be cautious of the weak_

Kagome thought about what it could mean but, found no answer. She flipped the page and saw that there was information on the demon in the picture from the last page. It talked about a dog demon that was powerful and had two sons. One son was a full demon but, the other was only a half demon. He was hated for what he was…a mutt…as they called him in the book. The father had protected them while he had been alive but, after he died he left them two swords. They were each meant to protect.

Kagome knew it was wrong but, the page was so interesting. It reminded her of Inuyasha. She ripped the page out of the book and folded it up, slipping it into her pocket. It was getting late and Kagome decided to try to sleep. She would decipher the poem later. Yawning, the girl put the book back and returned to her half demon companion.

A/N: I know...I know. It's been a while. Schools killing me right now. Sorry for the delayed update. I hope you enjoy. And thanks for the reviews.


	16. Dream Weaver

"Kagome run now! Go. Don't you understand me? Run!" Inuyasha screamed at her from across the stone room. Tall pillars stood around them like omens of impending doom. The stone of the pillars was beginning to crack and break away.

"Inuyasha!" She reached out to grab his hand but a pillar toppled, kicking up dust and separating the two. Frantically Kagome's eyes searched the dust filled room. "Inuyasha!"

A girl's voice echoed from the only clear exit out of the rubble. "This way Kagome!"

Kagome followed the girl out into the blinding sunlight. Turning around, Kagome watched as the rest of the building fell in agony. "No! Inuyasha!" She started to run towards the rubble and cloud of dust in desperation. "Don't die!"

"Do you want him to live?" The girl was talking to her. Kagome stopped her running and turned toward the girl with hot tears stinging her eyes.

"Of course I want him to live…" A tear slipped down her cheek.

"Then you must listen to me. I don't have a lot of time. Inuyasha is doomed without that poem of yours. You have to understand it. There are two treasures waiting for you at…" The girl's voice was silenced by final pillar falling.

"He'll die without you. Help him and help my…"

The girl was fading in and out.

"Wait! Where do I go? What do I do!" Kagome searched for answers. But, the girl had disappeared. White dust from the rubble surrounded Kagome as the air around her turned white. It felt like she was in a cloud. "Inuyasha!"

"What is it? Stop screaming at me."

Kagome opened her eyes. The old library came into her view as the scene of the rubble faded away. "Where am I?" Kagome said sleepily.

"In the library, or dreamland, I'm not really sure yet. Anyways come on we've got to get a move on." The hanyou tossed the yellow backpack into the girls lap. "Here, eat something before we leave."

Kagome watched as Inuyasha walked away. She waited until he left to pull the poem out of her pocket. She read every word carefully. But, there was nothing there about anything in the poem. That's when Kagome remembered the legend about the dog lord. Flipping the paper over she read the story again. In her dream the girl had mentioned two treasures. Maybe she was talking about the swords. The legend said that the swords resided in a place where the sunset is like a painting. Kagome thought for a second then turned her eyes to the picture painted on the paper. She stared at the sunset painted behind the dog lord. Hidden in the sunset were little letters. She moved her finger across the painting. "C-o-n-v-e-n-d. Convend, My father lives there. That's where the swords are! We have to go there. Inuyasha!"

The hanyou walked back into the room. "What are you talking about?"

"I want to go to Convend."

Inuyasha's face turned serious suddenly. He narrowed his eyes and it almost looked like he was angry for a second. "Why would you want to go there?"

Kagome thought for a minute. She didn't want to tell him the she just ripped a page out of a priceless old book and had a dream telling her to go there. "My father lives there. I want to go see him."

An intensity filled Inuyasha's eyes. His voice turned even more serious as he crossed his arms. "When's the last time you even talked to your father?"

"It's been a while, but he could help us."

Inuyasha's face looked twisted for a minute like there was a knot that had just formed in his stomach.

"Is something wrong, Inuyasha?" Kagome looked at him confused.

"We aren't going." He said sharply as he started to walk away giving Kagome little chance to argue.

"But…"

"We're not going!" He said fiercely as he continued to walk away.

Kagome stood up with anger hanging on her face. She grabbed the yellow backpack and quickly hurried after the hanyou. "No, correction, there is no 'WE'. I'm going! You can stay here. But just remember that you said you would look after me. Now I'm going with or without you. If something happens to me its on you!" The girl shoved past him leaving him standing there with discontent in his heart.

"Fine! Go! I don't care about you!"

"Fine!" The girl said triumphantly.

Inuyasha stood there watching her walk away for a few minutes. He finally gave in staring down at the ground he growled. "Damn you!" He said as he bounded after her.

A/N: Short but interesting, eh? Let me know what you think.


	17. Spin Round, Fall Down

"Kagome, why do you want to go there so bad huh?" The hanyou next to her kept his usual tone of voice but his expression was different from usual. Kagome had noticed, and the question of what was wrong with him hung on her mind. But she kept her mouth shut. He was following her and that's all that mattered for now.

"Hello…what? Are you not talking to me now?"

"I'm talking to you, Inuyasha. I just don't want to get involved with you and your rude stubbornness. I can't understand why you don't want me to see my own father." The girl said while staring ahead.

"I don't care if you see your father. It's just…"

Inuyasha was interrupted by a fired up Kagome. "I mean he's my own father! Not to mention I haven't seen him in…forever!"

"That's exaggerating a little." He rolled his eyes. "Kagome listen…"

"It's not even like Convend is far from here…It's the town over…We're almost there now. All we have to do is cross the river and it will come into view."

"Kagome, Please wait…"

The girl started to rip off her shoes and socks as they approached the river. The blue from the water sparkled in the sun. Kagome stuffed her socks into her shoes and started to cross the river. Trees shaded the edge of the water and threw spots of sunlight onto the girl's skin.

"Kagome don't cross the river. Just listen for a second! Kagome!"

The girl ran through the water, kicking it up as she went. "You're not stopping me now."

As she approached the other side she reached out for the branches in front of her. She jumped out of the flowing water and onto the small section of sand on the side. Kagome turned around when she didn't hear Inuyasha splashing behind her. He was still on the other side of the river with his arms folded. His expression was serious yet, sad.

Kagome formed a confused look on her face. "Inu…yasha…" She had a bad feeling. Something wasn't right. She left Inuyasha standing there as she pushed back the branches in front of her. "Nooooo!" The girl screamed out and fell backwards just missing the water. "There's no way…It…how…" Tears formed in her eyes as she turned toward Inuyasha who was still on the other shore. "It's a wasteland…there's nothing…nothing! My dad…everyone is gone…there's just crumbling buildings now." She put her head in her hands.

Inuyasha could smell the salt from Kagome's tears. And he could barely make out "dad" from her muffled sobs.

Inuyasha jumped across the small river and stood tall next to the girl. Kagome looked up at the hanyou; her face was stained with tears. "How did you know about this?"

Inuyasha looked down. "These scars are fresh for me. You know, you think you have control of yourself and it spins away from you. You lose control and…"

"I don't want your stupid riddles. Tell me!"

"I did it Kagome! It was me…I'm sorry…I…"

"Shut up! I hate you!" Kagome pulled herself up and threw her fists into Inuyasha's chest repeating "I hate you!" Inuyasha grabbed her wrists to stop her but she struggled to hit him anyway. Emotions of anger and sadness welled up inside of her. "Don't touch me…" A tear rolled down her cheek. Inuyasha's expression quickly changed. His bangs hid his eyes from Kagome's.

"I wish I could tell you I wasn't a murderer. And I wish I didn't have to see you…cry."

Kagome stopped struggling and stared at him. She didn't know what to do. What could she do? Kagome pulled free of Inuyasha's grip and ran. She pushed her way past him and ran back through the river. She moved as fast as her legs would carry her through the small forest and didn't look back. Kagome just needed to run as she left the pain behind in the form of her hanyou lover.

Authors comments: I know I know… I won't give you guys excuses (SAT's…cough cough) please enjoy. I really am sorry. And tell me if I can still write after all this time. Comments! Please!


	18. Don't Cry

Kagome was breathing heavily as she reached a small shaded area in the forest. Her legs wouldn't allow her to run anymore. She found herself leaning weakly against a tree with air stinging the back of her throat as she breathed. Her tears had been dried by the air and left cold spots on her cheeks.

A thought crossed her mind: _'How could a half demon do this? How could HE do this? All the destruction…everything? How?'_

Kagome felt tears coming into her eyes again. It wasn't fair. Nothing was ever fair. She couldn't imagine how life could treat her this way. Kagome fell to the ground and curled into a ball, allowing her depressed feelings to rise up from her heart and choke her out. She was finding it hard to breathe because she was crying so hard.

Just when Kagome felt as if her world would crash down on top of her leaving her buried forever she heard soft footsteps. She felt the warmth of a body behind her; laying in the grass with her. Strong arms wrapped around her and pulled her close as she cried.

"Kagome…you don't know how sorry I am…please don't cry." Inuyasha whispered in her ear in a sad voice that was very unlike him.

Through choked sobs Kagome replied. "Why would you do this?"

"It's different in this world for a half demon." Inuyasha moved his hand over Kagome's. "My blood is different from yours. I can't control it. I don't have the power to fight the demon blood that flows in me. I know how weak that makes me. And how filthy."

Kagome was trembling gently in his arms now in an attempt to cope with the pain. Inuyasha breathed in deeply for a moment. His tone was becoming unstable and shaky. "I didn't know you when I did this. And even if I had known you it still would have happened. I didn't want to…" He breathed deeply again. His voice grew low. "I swear…"

"Inuyasha…I…my dad…" Her voice broke.

"Shhhh." Inuyasha pulled her tightly against him. "Don't cry."

Authors note: OK. So some of you are confused I guess. Allow me to summarize the story a little to help you guys out. I know it's been a while. Anyways, Kagome lived in the city next to her father's town which is called Convend. The only way to get to Convend is to cross a small river that lies in a forest, then once you push some branches out of the way you are able to see it. Because Convend is so small and well, inaccessible, no news really gets to the city about it. Inuyasha was a wanderer before he met Kagome and used to be in Convend until "something" happened and he turned into his demon form and pretty much destroyed it. I think you all need to read chapter 13 again to see if you can figure something out. "Hint: little girl". Good luck my detectives!


	19. Rally The Dogs

"Rally the dogs!" Kouga called to the two dog demons behind him. "They're heading for Convend." He said as a smile graced his lips. "I can smell them."

"Yes sir!" One of the dog demons saluted as he headed off into the city to get the other demons.

The other demon stood next to Kouga. "Sir, do we stop them from reaching Convend."

"No you idiot. We want them to reach it."

"Sir?"

"It's our master's orders." Kouga smiled again.

The other demon saluted and went to rally the dogs as well. Kouga reached into his left pocket and pulled out his cell phone. He flipped it open and dialed a number quickly. It rang.

From the other line: "hello?"

Kouga's breath froze in the cold air before he spoke. "Sesshoumaru, you might want to be here for this one…They are heading for Convend. It might finally be time for you to claim your father's swords."

Silence fell on the other end.

"Sesshoumaru?"

"We're cutting them off. Hold him back as long as you can. I'll take care of the rest."

"Of course sir."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Inuyasha opened his eyes. It was dark in the forest where they were. He must have fallen asleep. The hanyou turned his attention to the girl in his arms. She had stopped crying hours ago but, had exhausted herself and fallen asleep.

"I'm so sorry for what I did to you." Inuyasha whispered in her ear, in an attempt to reach her in her dreams. "I have to live with this pain as well. Do you want to hear why I did it?" He knew she couldn't hear him but, it was too hard to tell her while she was awake.

"I used to be a wanderer. I felt so lost and alone." He shook his head for a second and took a deep breath. "I was young and completely stupid but I was lonely none the less. A little girl who lived in Convend became my friend. I didn't quite understand why she wasn't afraid. She wasn't scared of my brother either. Rin, the girl, was being picked on because she was my friend. Even if people didn't know I was a demon they still saw me as different. I don't know, maybe it's a curse. One day I saw a group of boys beating on her. I lost it. She was my only friend and I had enough of humans being like that. My demon blood takes over anytime I get too angry. This time I was furious. I went on a killing spree and I couldn't stop. It was the first time I had lost control and let my demon blood completely take me over. But, in my uncontrollable anger I had killed everyone, even Rin. My brother never forgave me for that. I never forgave myself for it either."

Inuyasha felt the girl move to find a comfortable spot. She settled down again and was breathing steadily. "I couldn't stop my demon side. I don't understand. Convend has some weird hold on me. It almost has an aura to it that drives my demon side crazy."

Kagome mumbled quietly in her sleep. "The swords"

A/N: I just keep the good times coming! Lol. Tell me if you're confused about anything and I'll get back to you. Rock on.


	20. Night Battle

Kagome stirred in Inuyasha's arms. As she opened her eyes she felt Inuyasha's tense arms around her. He was holding her tight to his chest.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome said sleepily while blades of grass brushed against her body.

"They are relentless." The hanyou growled in annoyance.

"Who?"

"That stupid Kouga and his little army of demons."

Kagome's eyes widened. "They're here!"

Inuyasha stood up from the moist night grass and pulled Kagome to her feet. He seemed to be mumbling to himself for a second. "We're close to Convend it might happen again…"

Even though Inuyasha had spoken under his breath Kagome had still heard him. "What will happen?"

"I'll lose control of my blood."

Kagome's heart skipped a beat. She remembered dreaming about Inuyasha telling her why he had destroyed Convend. Maybe it wasn't just a dream. But, there was no time, the demons were coming.

"Kagome I'll hold the demons back." Inuyasha put his clawed hands on her shoulders and stared into her eyes. "I know it's hard but there's no where else for you to run. I need you to go to Convend and get away from here quickly. When it's all over I'll come find you."

Kagome shook her head in understanding. Inuyasha moved in close to the girl. His lips collided gently with hers. His kiss sent a warmth throughout her body that made her feel safe.

"Fly, my angel" He said as he turned away from her, ready to fight. Kagome wanted to melt, but she knew she must run. The girl went running for the river.

Kagome dodged trees and branches as she ran through the forest toward the water. She turned for a second to look over her shoulder but, Inuyasha was no longer in sight. Kagome was closing in on the river. She reached the waters edge and jumped.

Suddenly she heard a growl from the tree above her. A voice came from deep in the branches. "Hello, beautiful." It said mockingly. Kagome tried to get away but, a dog demon jumped from within the branches and landed on his feet in front of her. He grabbed Kagome and pushed her down into the water. "Hmmm…death by drowning. Sounds good to me." He said as he shoved her head under the water. Kagome started to kick wildly. He was going to kill her. She struggled to get air. But the demon wasn't letting her up.

Suddenly, a clawed hand grabbed her shirt and pulled her out of the water. Kagome was coughing and sputtering. But she could distinctly make out Kouga's voice scolding the demon that tried to drown her. "We do not drown a lady." He turned to Kagome and smiled slyly at her.

Kagome narrowed her eyes at him. She remembered him from the bar and her apartment.

Kouga stared at the girl as he held her by her shirt. "Listen Closely Kagome. You might be able to hear Sesshoumaru beating Inuyasha."

Kagome tried to pull free from the demon but, wasn't strong enough. Kouga simply held her shirt tightly. "Those swords will be Sesshoumaru's by tonight. If he doesn't kill Inuyasha."

Kagome stared at Kouga. "What are you talking about?" She said with resentment in her voice.

"Well you see doll, there's a poem that goes:

_A day will come that will leave the dust unsettled_

_Waking the lust inside of the circle_

_They stand tall waiting for the feast_

_A drop of fresh nectar, not of the deceased_

_Feed the markers for the possession you seek_

_A warning: be cautious of the weak_

What its saying is that in Convend You can find an alter that hides the legendary swords belonging to Sesshoumaru's father. If you add fresh blood from both the brothers to the alter than the stone will melt away revealing the swords. But, if my master kills Inuyasha his blood will no longer be fresh and the alter won't accept it."

Kagome finally understood the poem. The first line was about her moving the old book. The circle is the alter. The third line was the stone pillars that hold the swords. The fresh nectar was the blood of the brothers! It all made sense! But it was bad news; as soon as Sesshoumaru got a drop of Inuyasha's blood onto that alter he was going to kill him.

Kouga smiled at Kagome. "This is the end, doll."

A/N: hooray! The plot thickens! I bet it makes a lot more sense now too. Lol.


	21. Beautiful Violence

"This is the end, doll."

"Not quite." Kagome shot Kouga one of his own sly smiles.

"What are you…" Kouga suddenly growled loudly as pain shot through his arm. Kagome's teeth went sinking into his skin. Caught off guard Kouga dropped her and she went running across the rest of the river.

Kouga rubbed his arm and turned toward the demon next to him. "Don't just stand there. Get her!" The demon went chasing quickly after her. "You better not run girl!"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"So this is where you've been hiding." Sesshoumaru said blankly to a tense Inuyasha.

"What's it to you?" Inuyasha spat the words at him. "Why do you spend all your time chasing after your brother and some human? Do you not have a life or something?" Inuyasha mused.

"You would know a lot about taking lives wouldn't you little brother? You should know by now that my life was with Rin but, you even took her from me."

"Shut up!" Inuyasha growled at the painful memories and tried to bite them back by swallowing hard.

"Oh what's wrong does that HURT!" Sesshoumaru's claws went cutting into Inuyasha's cheek; drawing blood.

Inuyasha moved away quickly. He could feel warm blood trickling down his face. Sesshoumaru was fast and swiftly went to make another attack. Inuyasha had to think quickly.

"Iron reaver; soul stealer!"

Sesshoumaru's claws met with Inuyasha's. Inuyasha's claws made small gashes on his brother's hand but his brother's claws made gashes on his as well; only they were deeper. Sesshoumaru began to laugh.

"Little brother I appreciate the enthusiasm you put into fighting me but these scratches will get you nowhere."

"You don't seem to be doing anything more than scratching me either." Inuyasha countered.

"Yes, but There's one difference between me and you. I'm not a half breed mutt like you are." Sesshoumaru flashed his claws at Inuyasha showing a poison green aura around them.

Inuyasha's heart stopped. "Poison…"

"Oh you're such a clever puppy aren't you!" Sesshoumaru's claws were heading for Inuyasha again. Inuyasha tried to dodge the attack but his brother's claws ripped at his side. Blood soaked Inuyasha's pants and ran down his leg. Inuyasha felt pain paralyze his body as his shoulder slammed into a tree and he slid down the trunk to the ground.

He knew he had to fight. He had to survive. Inuyasha pulled himself back to his feet despite the pain that tore through his entire body. The poison was beginning to take its toll.

Sesshoumaru wouldn't stand for this. "Stay down!" He went to knock him back to the ground but Inuyasha countered.

"Iron reaver; Soul Stealer!" His claws sunk into his brother's skin. Warm crimson oozed from the wound he had made on Sesshoumaru's stomach.

Sesshoumaru winced momentarily then grabbed the hanyou by the throat and shoved him against the tree. Sesshoumaru took his claws and allowed them to sink into the sides of Inuyasha's neck. Inuyasha could feel himself getting weaker. Sesshoumaru was sending poison straight into his throat. "Dirty mutt." Sesshoumaru said through clenched teeth.

A/N: Wow Violence! This has been long over due.


	22. Not Done

Things were growing hazy now. His vision was beginning to diminish. A small noise that sounded almost like a whimper escaped from Inuyasha. Normally wounds like this wouldn't bother him but the poison added a pain that was unbearable. As pain quickly diffused through his entire body his limbs felt heavier and abnormal. It was as if his body was not his but some strange weight causing him to feel this torture.

Inuyasha tried to speak but the only sound that would escape from his weak fading body was nothing more than a whimper. It was getting harder to breath. Inuyasha opened his fanged mouth to allow air in but very little oxygen would reach his lungs. He could still feel the sting of his brother's claws tearing at his throat. Inuyasha was fading away. Though he could no longer see, his brother's voice could still reach him.

"Don't worry, I won't kill you yet."

Sesshoumaru's voice sounded faint and shadowy to Inuyasha. A warm feeling flooded over his body as he felt himself slip away. Then he could hear nothing. See nothing. His breath still escaped steadily from him as his brother allowed his body to drop to the ground.

"Enjoy unconsciousness for now little brother." Sesshoumaru said as he turned and began to walk away from his fallen victim. Sesshoumaru thought to himself for a moment. _'I won't degrade myself by carrying his body to Convend. I'll have Kouga take him.'_ A scratching noise sounded from behind him.

Sesshoumaru turned to see his victim clawing at the bark on the tree. Sesshoumaru's eyes widened. "There is no way…"

Inuyasha Dug his claws pathetically into the tree and pulled himself weakly to his feet. He stood with his silver bangs covering his eyes. His body leaned up against the bark.

"We…Aren't done…here." His voice was quiet and faded sounding.

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes.

The dead and decaying city came into Kagome's view. The sound of a demon's feet pounding against the ground chased after her. It was a constant reminder of her current situation. Adrenaline pumped through Kagome's veins; causing her to run faster than she ever had before.

She reached the cracked city streets. One thought replayed in her mind. 'I'm tired of running'. Kagome could hear the demon gaining on her. Her feet moved quickly across the pavement until her shoes crunched into some broken glass. Her shoe caught the glass just right causing her to fall into the shattered mess on the ground.

Glass dug into her palms and turned the ground crimson from the cuts. Kagome could see the demon closing in on her. He was closer…and closer.

The demon smirked when he reached her. The scent of her blood filled his nose. Kagome formed a scared look on her face. The demon looked down on the pathetic girl. "This is a sad sight. You're pathetic."

Kagome's eyes widened but, not out of fear, out of realization. It was true. She was pathetic. Look how much time she had spent running away. No. Not anymore.

"I'm tired of running." Kagome grabbed a handful of the broken glass from beneath her and sent it flying toward the demon. Pieces hit his face. He cried out and covered his head from the flying glass as small pieces came dangerously close to hitting his eyes.

Kagome felt a new feeling rush through her. She was standing up for herself…and it felt good. She stood up from the glass and while the demon tried to recover from the pieces that hit his face, she side-kicked him hard in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him.

Kagome looked down on the demon who had sunk to the ground. "Now who's pathetic?"

Inuyasha stared intently into his half brother's eyes. Sesshoumaru had a less than pleased look on his face. Things were not working out the way he had hoped.

"You will fight until you die won't you?" Sesshoumaru asked blankly.

Inuyasha staggered away from the tree. "Yea, I'm stubborn like that." His voice was quiet. His body was barely allowing him to stand, let alone fight. But this is Inuyasha we are talking about and he's not going out without a fight. Inuyasha flexed his claws allowing the moon to hit them just right; giving off a sharp glow of light.

Sesshoumaru got ready to fight again. He wasn't sure how to pull this off. Any more fighting would kill Inuyasha and he needed him alive.

"Fine, how about a game?" Sesshoumaru said cleverly.

Inuyasha tensed up.

"What do you say, little brother? Are you up for a small game of 'rescue the human girl'?"

Inuyasha eyes widened slightly. Sesshoumaru turned and went walking in the direction of Convend. He disappeared somewhere into the trees. His voice echoed out from somewhere in the forest. "Follow me if you want to play."

Inuyasha went to run after him. But, his weak body collapsed to the ground. _'I won't let him get Kagome…' _He tried to force himself to his feet but, he couldn't get up.

"You need strength." A small voice sounded from in front of him. Inuyasha tilted his head up to see a small pale girl staring down at him. "I can give you strength." She spoke again.

Inuyasha's breath stuck in his throat. He couldn't believe it. It wasn't possible. Inuyasha could see right through the little girl's body. She wasn't even really there. But, he heard her voice so clearly. Inuyasha squeezed his eyes shut tightly. _'I'm dreaming'_ but, when he re-opened them she was still there and her voice came sweetly to him again.

"I can help you…"

Finally Inuyasha forced himself to speak. "Rin!"

A/N: yay! Longer chapter! Or is it still too short? Let me know : )


	23. Give Up

Inuyasha stared at the ghostly figure before him. The very sight of her made his stomach twist into knots. The look in his eyes gave way to horror. And ironically enough he was not afraid, oh no, his heart was not full of fear. What hung so heavily on his soul, causing his face to twist into a horrible expression, was nothing more than guilt.

Suddenly it was as if all his memories came flooding back with such intensity that he felt like screaming. Her face brought with it the pain of the past. The ghostly image before him looked angelic and innocent just like the day he had met her.

His mouth ran dry and his throat closed up. He couldn't speak. His hands involuntarily balled into tight fists, with his claws tearing at his palms. It was his only way to deal with what he was seeing. When he actually thought about it though he realized the stupidity of his uncontrolled actions. Pain for pain was no substitute. He slowly reopened his hands; his own blood stained his claws. It hurt like hell to see her…It hurt…

"No, No…you can't be back…I…Killed you." As he glided over the word killed you could almost hear his heart breaking again.

The girl's expression changed from blank to sad. A small frown played on her pale face.

"You didn't kill me, Inu."

The girl's use of her old nickname for him lightened the moment. Rin always had a way of doing that. She was always so full of life. Not an ounce of hate could be found in her kind heart. Inuyasha dragged back an old memory of her from his mind…no, she never hated anyone…

'_Why don't you hate me? You should be running from me like everyone else, you stupid girl.'_

'_Because I'm not stupid.' She stood before him pouting and crossing her arms._

_Inuyasha simply raised his eyebrow at her._

'_I can see you aren't a bad person.' She had said boldly._

'_But, I could kill you if I wanted to!' Inuyasha shouted fiercely at her._

'_Yea, but I'm not dead yet.' The little girl went skipping off leaving the sound of giggling to echo in Inuyasha's ears._

The memory forced a smile to his face. She hadn't changed, not even in death. Inuyasha's smile faded quickly.

"But, I did kill you. You're blood was all over me."

The little girl paused momentarily before looking at the ground and shaking her head.

"You had always been my friend, right?"

Inuyasha stared at Rin's pale body. "Yes"

"A demon killed me…Not a friend." Rin looked down at him, as he lay on the ground, and smiled weakly at him.

Inuyasha wanted to stand…to hold her and apologize for ever doing those horrible things to her. Even if it had not really been him but, his demon blood that had ultimately lead to her defeat. He pushed up with his arms but, his body shook with weakness. He didn't even get an inch off the ground before he collapsed back. The poison was defeating his strength quickly. He suddenly felt as if all hope was lost. A sad tone tinged his voice. Tears could not be seen his eyes but you could hear them in the way he spoke.

"How am I supposed to live with myself after all that I've done?" Inuyasha's spirit was broken and he felt like curling up and letting his despair eat him alive.

"You have a choice." Rin spoke with a quiet urgency.

Inuyasha squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. "There is no choice! What's done is done…And I will always be a monster for it." His pain could be felt there trembling on the ends of his words.

"No!"

Inuyasha's eyes snapped open to stare at the girl.

"There is always a choice!" She shouted as tears filled her eyes. "Now, you can sit here and allow yourself to die or you can keep your promises. You said you would protect her! You can't just take back your words. I don't want my death to have been in vain, Inu…"

Inuyasha watched her tears fall to the ground and disappear into a mist. She was right. He had promised Kagome that he would protect her to the end. This wasn't the end…not yet.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Comments: I was not going to post this chapter until I could make it longer. But I am having severe writers block. Does anybody know how to cure writers block? Anybody? The ending of this story is coming really soon and I want it to be epic but, I don't want you all to have to wait forever for it to be posted. So that's why I posted this chapter even though it's short. Thank you for being so patient with me. And please if you have any ideas to get rid of this stupid writers block, tell me! Please!


	24. more than I am

Inuyasha dug his claws into the soft earth beneath him, clenching the dirt tightly in his fists. This is not the end! Rin smiled down on him as he struggled to get to his feet. Inuyasha's heart pounded. He could hear it in his ears, his own heartbeat echoed. Blood surged through his veins with each beat. The hanyou's breathing was heavy with pauses for pain.

"My promises…are all I have." He said painfully.

The little girl just shook her head. "Go, Inu. She's fighting for you…fight for her."

Inuyasha took off, slowly at first as the pain ate through his body. Steadily his speed increased. It wouldn't be enough to beat Sesshoumaru but, it was better than breaking his word.

Rin stood silent in the clearing. Her body disappeared with the wind as if it were made of sand. Hopefully she had done all she needed to do. The rest was up to Inuyasha.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Kagome found herself lost in the mess of rubble that used to be Convend. She had left her demon captor behind with a boot print in his stomach. "Where do I go from here?" she whispered to herself.

"I'll tell you where."

Kagome whirled around with terror in her eyes. There he was… "Sesshoumaru!"

"I'll tell you where you can go. You have put me through a lot of trouble. I would love to be able to say that you aren't a problem but, since you are… You can go straight to hell!" Grabbing her by the throat he sinisterly looked her in the eyes. "And I'll be glad to send you there."

Kagome struggled to break free. With what little breath she could get she spoke. "Inuyasha…"

His beautiful silhouette appeared through the rubble. Those same golden eyes pierced the night.


	25. Rescue

Inuyasha saw Sesshoumaru's fingers wrapping tightly around Kagome's throat. "That's enough!" Inuyasha growled through clenched teeth.

"Mmmm… you are a good puppy aren't you? I didn't think you would actually get off your ass long enough to play my little game of fetch." Sesshoumaru squeezed Kagome's neck with an even more powerful grip. His eyes stayed locked on Inuyasha… challenging him to make a move. Kagome let out a squeak of helplessness as she felt herself losing air. "It's just a matter of time… then you'll all be together."

Inuyasha knew what he meant by it. It wouldn't be long until he and the young miko joined Rin in the afterlife. But there was no time for conversation. Inuyasha had to get Kagome out of Sesshoumaru's grasp. But, without the aid of his body…. He would have to outsmart him.

"Rin's not waiting for us. She's waiting for you!"

Kagome fell to the ground as Sesshoumaru advanced toward Inuyasha. "You disrespectful little mutt!!"

_'I have to help him'_ Kagome suddenly remembered the poem. She had to get to the swords first. Sesshoumaru would keep Inuyasha alive until then. Without him the swords would be lost. While the two brothers fought the young miko could get the upper hand.

"Inuyasha! Grab my hand!"

Inuyasha tried to dodge Sesshoumaru but his body was still too weak to maintain any speed. Sesshoumaru just caught Inuyasha's shirt. But, his nails ripped clean through the fabric. The hanyou took this small opportunity to run toward Kagome.

The girl had already started toward Inuyasha. She reached out her hand and barely grabbed at the half-demon. She got it! She got what she needed. Inuyasha's Blood smeared onto her fingers. Now with the blood from Inuyasha on her hand and the blood from Sesshoumaru on her throat she could open the alter.

Inuyasha was pulled out of Kagome's grip by Sesshoumaru's powerful claws.

"Stay alive, Inuyasha!" She said as she turned and began to run for the center of the city.

Inuyasha didn't have time to ask questions before he was slammed into the ground. His brother stood towering over him with one fist wrapped tightly into the collar of Inuyasha's shirt.

writers note: well, I know its short but, college tends to zap a persons creativity. I added ch 24 to see if anyone actually read my stories anymore. A lot of you came back! Thank you! But I would appreciate some feedback. Let me know if I still got it. Thanks again!!!!!!!


	26. At The Altar

Kagome could hear the sound of her shoes scrape on the dirty stone floor. She looked around the huge decrepit space. The room was round, with water tracing the edge of the wall like a moat. The moon shown through missing parts of the ceiling and reflected on the water, turning the whole place blue. Kagome stared with her mouth open. A huge round altar stood in the middle of the room. Two pillars stood on either side, supporting the ceiling.

Kagome walked slowly to the round altar. Her breath was heavy in her throat. The young miko knelt down and blew the dust off of the altar. It spread through the air, swimming through the moonlight. She spoke to herself. _'__A day will come that will leave the dust unsettled__' _ she looked down at the symbols on the altar. They were two handprints ;one on either side. _'Waking the lust inside of the circle' _Kagome's eyes wandered up the pillars to what was left of the ceiling. '_They stand tall waiting for the feast' _She placed her right hand on the handprint, smearing Inuyasha's blood on the symbol. '_A drop of fresh nectar, not of the deceased' _Kagome reached her left hand up to her neck. Sesshoumaru's blood stained her fingers. '_Feed the markers for the possession you seek__' _She was about to touch the symbol when she stopped.

"Someone's coming…"

Sesshoumaru appeared out of the moonlight dragging Inuyasha's body behind him. He roughly let go of Inuyasha and let him hit the floor. "You could have killed him you know?"

"I was trying to save him." She said sharply back.

"Yes…and look at where you are now. You've gotten yourself into quite a mess. Personally, I don't think you could save him if you tried. He's lost so much blood…" Sesshoumaru smiled and walked toward Kagome. "…I bet he'll die even if I don't lay another finger on him."

Kagome breathed in sharply. Sesshoumaru continued to advance toward her but her eyes stayed on Inuyasha. He gently grabbed Kagome around the waist. Her eyes suddenly snapped toward Sesshoumaru's. He was handling her in a sensual manner. A shiver ran up her spine.

"What do you think you're doing!"

Sesshoumaru just gripped her tighter. Without warning he spun her around and leaned her body over the altar. His hands slid over hers. "I'm getting what I want." With that said Sesshoumaru slid Kagomes hand over the second symbol.

A burst of red light filled the room, knocking the miko and demon backwards. The ground shook with power and bits of the ceiling began to fall. As the light cleared Kagome could see the pillars disintegrating. Sesshoumaru was making his way to the pillars.

Kagome turned and saw Inuyasha's body. "Inuyasha!" she screamed and crawled along the floor toward him. She reached for him. When Kagome was close enough she tangled her fingers in his hair. Lifting his head she kissed him passionately as her own tears streamed onto his beautiful face. The room was falling apart, she had to get out…

Kagome, still on all fours, did her best to hoist Inuyasha onto her back. He was so heavy and lifeless. Kagome tried to crawl for the exit with his heavy body on top of her own. Her hands ached from the glass she had fallen in earlier (reference to chapter where she was being chased and fell). Dirt and dust clung to her cuts. Every few inches her body would falter. He was so heavy…so heavy…

Authors note: ok so I like this chapter and I hope you do too. I still have not gotten any comments…zero…none. If there is a problem posting comments pls let me know. My e-mail is Other than that if my reviews are up and running I would just like to know, where are you guys? I know you are reading so pls pls pls take the time to let me know how you like the story. Thank you!!!!!!!!!

p.s. the more you review me the sooner I will be inspired to write a new chapter.


	27. Dog House

He was so heavy…so heavy. She kept crawling using all the strength her weak little body had. The exit lay in front of her. "Please, Inuyasha… please. PLEASE!!!" Tears streamed down her face, blurring the exit. She squeezed her eyes shut to force the hot tears away. Again Kagome staggered.

Cool grass poked between her fingers and a feeling of relief came over her, as she gently slid the unconscious hanyou to the ground. He helplessly lay there on his back, blood poured from his wounds.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome cradled his head in her lap. "Don't break my heart…" Her fingers tangled into his silver hair. "I'm scared…" She bit her lip and sobbed. "I'm scared to live without you. I'm scared to lose you. INUYASHAAA!!" Kagome cried out.

Slowly the half demon opened his eyes. Inuyasha's lip quivered as he breathed in and out. Kagome looked at him as a flood of tears continued to pour from her eyes. He was staring at her, deep within her, with a look she had never seen. He didn't say a word; He didn't make a move, just lay there, taking in her gentle features.

"Inuyasha…"

A tear slowly rolled down his cheek, racing the drops of blood that dripped from the corner of his sweet lips. Kagome was frozen. The light drifted from his eyes and the hanyou's pupils grew small.

"INUYASHAAAA!!!!!!" Kagome shrieked and wildly tried to cover his wounds with her hands, trying to keep the blood from coming out. Again she screamed his name. But, he wasn't breathing. His eyes still stared into hers, though they were devoid of life.

Suddenly, the night grew quiet. Kagome turned toward the temple. It had stopped falling! That could only mean one thing; Sesshoumaru had pried the swords from the pillars. The young girl looked back down and into his dead eyes. Slowly she closed them with her fingers and lifted his lips to hers. For the last time, she kissed him passionately. The taste of his blood strayed onto her lips. "I…I love you." She spoke quietly.

Wiping her eyes, she stood and marched back into the temple. There she was throwing herself to the demon. Sesshoumaru held a sword in each hand and looked across the way at the foolish girl. He smirked as Kagome walked toward him.

"I see the blood on your lips…guess he finally died."

"Yes…you got what you wanted." She said, shaking her head sarcastically, with disgust in her voice. She began to circle around him.

"No, I actually wanted both of you dead. So I'm still working on that second part." Sesshoumaru followed her with his eyes.

"Well, I don't want to leave anything unfinished either."She said quietly. Sesshoumaru quirked an eyebrow. Kagome pulled the poem from her pocket and threw it on the ground in front of the demon. "The last line of the poem."

Sesshoumaru looked down at the paper.

"A warning, Sesshoumaru!" The girl said sharply. "Be cautious of the weak." Quickly Kagome side kicked the fragile pillar. A crack streamed through the middle and broke the pillar in two, bringing the whole thing down on top of them both.

A Year and One Month Passes...

Kouga sat shining glasses behind the bar at "The Dog House". The business had been passed onto him since Sesshoumaru's death over a year ago. The demons still gathered there to drink and hide from the cruel world beyond the lowly establishment. Above the bar hung two swords sealed tightly in glass cases. Kouga stared through the glass. He didn't know why he had never been tempted to use the swords for power. Maybe it's because he saw what power could do. Maybe he never wanted to be in charge. All he knew for sure was that there was only one use for swords like that.

The ring of the door as someone walked in snapped him out of his daze. It was the next shift. Kouga tossed his towel at the worker and headed out the door. He was already late for his appointment. The demon walked down the city street until he came to a green house. The door opened slowly and a smiling face greeted him. "Well, where have you been? Foods almost all gone. You know how Inuyasha likes his ramen."

"Sorry, Kagome. I got held up."

"It's ok. Come on in." Kagome smiled and shut the door behind him. "Kouga…"

The demon turned to her. "What is it?"

"There are days that I wish I could give you more than just ramen…for what you did for us."

"Kagome…"

Kouga was interrupted as Inuyasha came into the room. "Hey look who finally showed."

Kouga just laughed. Together they all ate and talked and smiled. As it grew late Kouga grabbed his coat and opened the door to leave. The demon took one last look at the happy couple, whose arms were laced around each other. "Kagome…Inuyasha…Thank you…"

The couple stared at him. "Thank you? What do you mean? If it hadn't been for you using that sword we wouldn't even be alive." Inuyasha spoke.

"I know." He hesitated. "But I would rather live in a world like this, than one filled with destruction and hate. That's why this whole feud between demons and humans began. Its hate that fuels all of this. I guess it just took me longer to see it. But as long as there is love…" He didn't finish his sentence. The demon just smiled and left.

Kagome felt Inuyasha pull her closer. She looked up into his amazing eyes, as he stared down at her. "As long as there is love." He spoke and kissed her gently.

Authors note: So I hesitated for a long time on ending this piece. I just didn't know how I wanted it to end. I finally decided. As always let me know what you thought. And thank you for reading!


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